The ministry said that Yoon Soon-ku, the ministry's director general on international policy, met with his Mongolian counterpart, Zagdsuren Boldbaatar, in Mongolia's capital to discuss a follow-up to a meeting between their defense chiefs held in May last year and how to enhance defense cooperation.

Yoon also plans to fly to Uzbekistan to hold similar working-level talks with his counterpart Wednesday, it added.

"This series of defense talks will serve as an occasion to deepen cooperation with Mongolia and Uzbekistan," a ministry official said.